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Fire Ants 101

If you’ve ever come across fire ants, you will certainly remember it. Fire ants are an aggressive ant species, with a painful sting, that will swarm anyone that gets near their colonies. As the name suggests, they are reddish-brown in coloration, with a body that ranges between 1/10 and ¼ inches in length. Let’s take a look at the ants and what you can expect when they invade your property.

Why fire ants are dangerous

The main threats posed by fire ants are their aggression and their stings. Unlike most ant species, fire ants are extremely fierce when they feel that their nest is threatened. If you get too close to a fire ant colony, the workers will swarm out, crawl up your legs and start stinging you multiple times. While a single sting is very painful and uncomfortable, being injected with a huge amount of fire ant venom can be dangerous and even deadly in some cases, especially if the victim is allergic to the venom. Fire ants are also known to chew on insulation and electrical wiring, which not only causes damage to the home, but can create fire hazards.

How fire ant infestations start

The good news is that fire ants will mostly infest the outdoors, usually the yard. A colony will start with a swarmer, which is a winged member of the reproductive caste. The swarmer will mate in the air, find a nesting location and become a new queen. Over time, the colony grows, and before you know it, you have a dangerous nest on your doorstep. There are also situations in which fire ants infest the home, especially when they have easy access to food and water sources indoors.

How to remove fire ant infestations

Because of their aggression, it can be dangerous to attempt to remove a fire ant colony by yourself. Odds are that you will be attacked by the ants, and if you don’t have protection equipment, then it will be an unpleasant experience. The best way to remove a fire ant infestation safely is to work with a pest control professional, who will have the equipment and the expertise needed to remove the fire ant colony for you. If you would like to know more about the fire ant control process, or if you would like to set an appointment for fire ant control, contact us today.